Elsingham's Son

A Family Drama in Sixteen Scenes

by Airn Hethaway

email: s_psoli@yahoo.co.uk

Scene XVI

Gerda did make a new statement to the police, where she told them she had been confused and that she had stumbled upon Paul’s body in the conservatory, and hadn’t seen who had killed him. She said she had seen a strange tramp around the estate a day or two before and assumed that the vagrant had broken into the house and been startled by Paul in the act of burglary. DCI Gildenstone was somewhat sceptical at first, but Gerda stuck to her story and there was no way to prove or disprove it. A new verdict of murder by a person or persons unknown was returned by the coroner. However, the police did not close the case and Hamlyn was still wanted for questioning, in police jargon, ‘to help with their enquiries,’ but not for murder.

     Hamlyn did get in touch with his mother, but only by telephone. They did not meet. Gerda, now the head of Elsingham Holdings, dissolved the company, liquified the assets and paid a very substantial fortune into an account she opened in her son’s name in the Cayman Islands. She and Hamlyn would have met, but before they had a chance, she died of a heart attack. She had never fully regained her strength after that day when Horatio broke the news of Claude’s past to her. Only a few estate workers were present at her funeral. Elsingham House was sold and, ironically, turned into a country house hotel and spa by one of Claude’s business rivals, Fortins, the company from Poland.

     Horatio and Hamlyn moved abroad, to Denmark, where Hamlyn’s mother’s side of the family came from and where they were able to live openly together as gay lovers.

***

Two heads on a pillow; one blond, one jet black.

Two naked bodies, gently yet passionately making love…

And, finally, “Goodnight, sweet Prince…”

F I N I S